Samsung Officially Announces Galaxy Tab S2

Following numerous leaks, Samsung has just officially announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, the follow-up device to last year’s Galaxy Tab S, according to a report from MobileSyrup.

As per CEO and President of the Mobile & IT Division at Samsung, JK Shin, the new Galaxy Tab S2 devices will be the lightest and thinnest ever released in their size.

“The Galaxy Tab S2 is not only our thinnest and lightest tablet of its size ever, it also gives users quick, easy access to a wealth of superior viewing and productivity features. We believe the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the most complete personal visual device designed for consumers to carry and use anywhere.”

Anandtech also has the full technical specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 devices, which will released in both a 9.7″ and an 8″ variants. Each Galaxy Tab S2 is only 5.6mm thick and will feature a metal frame similar to the current line of Galaxy devices. The devices will run on a Samsung Exynos 5433 processor which features two 4-thread cores: a 1.9GHz core and a 1.3GHz core, as well as a Mali T760MP6 700MHz graphics processor. Both Galaxy Tab S2 devices will also feature a 2048×1536 SAMOLED display, easily the best display currently on the market, although Apple has not yet announced the specifications on their latest rumored iPad Pro, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 will run Android Lollipop 5.0, feature an 8MP rear-facing and 2.1 front-facing camera, and sport 3GB of RAM alongside a 32/64GB NAND and a MicroSDXC slot.

The 8″ Galaxy Tab S2 will carry a 4000mAh battery, and the 9.7″ a 5870mAh battery; given the power of the device, this actually seems fairly light, and will likely not hold a charge all that long when in use. Of course, it will likely also sport the wireless recharge technology of the Samsung Galaxy S6, which may make high drain less of a factor; users aren’t likely to be tethered too closely to an outlet as long as they’re at home.

Samsung has not yet announced pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, or specific availability, but their press release indicated that the new Galaxy tablets will be available starting August of this year, giving them a several month lead on Apple’s rumored November release date for the iPad Pro. It is likely that pricing will be similar to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S; $399 and $499 USD respectively.